By Michael Mahowish
Students looking for a locally owned grocery store on the West Side need look no further. The Lexington Co-operative Market offers a healthy alternative to corporate grocery stores.
“You feel better when you eat healthy,” said Tim Bartlett, the store’s general manager. “When you’re a student, I know, you feel like you’re going to live forever, but as you get older all the crap that you ate when you were a kid comes back to haunt you.”
The Lexington food co-op, 807 Elmwood Ave, is about a 10-minute walk from campus. Bartlett explained that the market operates like this:
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the market is owned by the customers
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customers who want to become an owner pay a one-time $80 fee
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owners are then given a 2 percent discount at the register
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owners also elect the board of trustees
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the customer-elected board of trustees then hire the staff, who operate the market
“It doesn’t seem like much off the top,” said Bartlett about the 2 percent discount. “But over the course of a year it adds up to a free week’s worth of groceries.”
Customers speak their minds
On any given day, the co-op can be seen bustling with activity. Customers frequent the market, looking for variety and sales. Many shoppers, like Dawn Collier-Hezel, shop there for the organic milk, which is safer for children..
Member-owner Bonnie Cass, a certified nutrition support dietitian and Buffalo State graduate, discussed her reasons for patronizing the co-op.
“We don’t need all the pesticides,” she said. “There are too many diseases that are caused by all the impurities in the foods.”
Why should Buffalo State students shop at Lexington?
The market also offers inexperienced shoppers the chance to try out natural foods while supporting local business.
“If you don’t know a lot about natural food this is a great place to try it out,” Bartlett said. “Our staff knows natural foods. We’re a lot more passionate about this stuff than most of the people that you’ll find at Tops or Wegmans.”
Bartlett also offered thrifty students some advice on how to get better grades.
“Save the money that you spend on beer and spend it on foods,” he said with a laugh. “You need to feed your brain in order to get good grades.”
For more information contact Michael Mahowish at S67kurt94s@hotmail.com, or visit the Lexington Co-operative Market at 807 Elmwood Ave.
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